Author Archives: mauistamper

Hearts and Flowers

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I’m a little late to the party over the Filled with Love promotion.  With everything that’s been going on, it took a little extra time for me to transition from The Holidays to oh, say, Valentines Day.  Now that it’s a month away,  hearts and flowers have made it to front and center:

Filled with Love

  • Filled with Love stamp set
  • Whisper White, Real Red, and Brushed Silver card stock
  • Designer Series Papers in Real Red
  • Basic Grey and Real Red Classic ink pads
  • Filled with Love Promotion Bundle with Clear Stamps (#124381)
  • Real Red 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon; Grid Paper
  • Bitty Heart, 3/4 inch circle, and scallop border punches
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals; Love Impressions rub ons

Don’t know what my problem was, but I’m glad I’m over it!  I LOVE this group of products for Valentines’ Day!  Love the images, love the papers, love the rub ons…guess you could just say I’m really feelin’ the LOVE!

These little heart-flowers were easy to line up with clear stamps.  I did it first on my grid paper – used the grid lines to space the images evening (3 lines between each one) and make them stand up straight on the panel.  The big polka dot scallops underneath are just circles punched and lined up on the grid paper.  I put a line of SNAIL across the bottom of the panel and placed it right on top of that row of circles.

Love that Grid Paper too!  Check the button on the right panel to get the 4-1-1 on the Filled with Love promotion, but do it by January 24th or it will be gone.

 

 

Moving forward

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Yesterday I put this gorgeous girl on the plane back to Boston:

I’m going to miss her happy voice, her fashion-companion advice, and her company.  She’s back in Boston for a couple of days and then traveling on to Spain for a semester in Sevilla.  We’re excited for her, of course, but it’s always hard for me to say good-bye.  The chocolate-espresso cupcakes with peanut butter fluff frosting at 10pm I can live without!

I found myself in a creative frenzy late last night.  It’s been a while since I could dedicate some time to stamping and I think my mojo was bottled up and ready to fly:

Filled with Love

I’m in a rush this morning – I’ll edit the details later – but this uses the Filled with Love promotion, some rub-ons, and Espresso Taffeta Ribbon.

Be back soon with more!

Zipping at Piiholo Ranch

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A few days ago I mentioned that my family went ziplining at Piiholo Ranch.  Maui is blessed with multiple zipline courses located in different parts of the island, so we like to try them out and compare the zips and the views.  It’s a great activity to do with “grown-up” kids, although taking the whole family does add up!  As my husband says, we don’t really need things anymore – well, except bikes for him and stamps for me.  We’re at the point where experiences and memories are what really count.

If you’ve never ziplined before, Piiholo is a great place to start.  The guides are VERY professional, the equipment is excellent, and while having fun is the first order of the day, safety is paramount.  Besides, you’re ziplining on the slopes of a dormant volcano and the views are gorgeous:

 

The view from Zip 5

This is the view from the top of the course – the approach to Zip 5.  It was a gorgeous day, and we’ve had loads of rain so everything is lush and green.  Each zip is progressively longer, and this last one is 2800 feet – you zoom along above the valley and  have beautiful views all around you.  Don’t think it looks like much?  Try this:

Piiholo runs two lines side by side, so you can zip with a friend – this is my daughter and her boyfriend.

Yours truly arriving at the bottom of Zip 5.  I’m concentrating on getting my hands back up onto that bar above my head before I hit the brake at the end of the line – it makes a big “CLANG!” and you want to be hanging on.  If there was a photo of me mid-zip, you’d see my mouth wide open either hollering “wooo hooo!!” or yelling “Hey Cow” at the cows grazing on the ranch beyond the valley.  (The cows didn’t look.)

Mr. and Mrs. Maui Stamper in our approved safety gear.  It’s very effective, but not especially fashion forward.

I hope you enjoyed your little bit of Maui today!  We’ll returned to our regularly scheduled program tomorrow 🙂

Time for a new tissue box

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Time for a new tissue box cover!  Santa doesn’t quite fit the decor any more.  The tree is down, the decorations are put away, and it’s time to think Valentine’s Day:

Valentine Tissue box

  • Punch Potpourri Level I Hostess Set
  • Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Daffodil Delight and Pear Pizazz card stock
  • Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink Classic ink pads; Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Write marker
  • Big Shot, Clearlits Scallop Rectangle and Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions folder
  • Bitty Pack, XL Two Step Bird, Blossoms Petal, and XL Full Heart  punches
  • Stampin’ Sponges, Sponge Daubers, and Pearl Jewels

I’m not so sure about all the sponging on this project – I think it worked better with the Petals-a-Plenty Embossing folders where the images were more uniform.  I’m happy with the little bird and all the flower images though.  I should have added the Boho Blossoms punch to the supply list, except I DON’T HAVE IT.  How can this be?  What was I thinking?  I had to cut those flowers out by hand.  Humph.  Next order.

Here’s a better look at the top:

Valentine Tissue Box top

I was very clever (pardon me while I reach around and pat myself on the back) when I centered the Scallop Square in the  top layers.  There are two panels, one on top of the other, so I had to be very, very clever:

Sizzix Scallop Rectangle Clearlit

I carefully measured and marked the center of my Clearlit with a dot of Sharpie ink, then marked the center of each of the top panels with a pencil.  With a little attention to detail as I ran the panels through the Big Shot, I positioned the rectangles just where I wanted them.  And yes, I am very pleased with myself.

If you’d like to make one of these, there is a great tutorial at Splitcoast stampers and I have no intention of recreating the wheel.

This does not mean I intend to get a cold, or that anyone in my household is permitted to catch a cold.  This is Home Decor, not an invitation to any germs that may be lurking out there.  Germs can scram!!

Passing on the love

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I know I must be preaching to the choir, but who doesn’t love blog-surfing?  There are some amazingly talented people who really inspire me on a regular basis. Over the past 6 months I’ve really had to pare my blog feeds down, because as I’m sure many of you know, scooting around from page to page can make a morning or afternoon disappear.

One of my favorites is Lisa Young, a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator in Western Massachusetts.  I love her style, I love her writing, and some day I am going grow up and be a colorist just like her!  It’s my goal to stamp with her some day, but in the meantime, I faithfully read her posts.  You can imagine how delighted I was to receive a “Stylish Blog” award from Lisa a week ago!

Here’s the tricky part:  I have to tell you about Lisa (well, not tricky at all); I have to tell you 8 things about myself you may not know (OK, maybe medium tricky); and I have to forward the lovin’ on to 8 other bloggers (this would be the really tricky part). There are way more than 8 Stylish Bloggers out there, and because a couple of Lisa’s favorites are my favorites too, I’ve had to think long and hard about my 8.

Here are 8 bloggers whose work I love to see and read:

OK, I admit that adding Lisa is a bit of a cheat since she is the one who passed this award on to me, but any list of my favorite bloggers would have her name on it.  This is my blog and I get to make the rules!!

When it comes to 8 things you don’t know about me, I’m sure there are loads of things I could tell you, but most of them would more than likely fall into the “Who Cares?” category.  It would be easier to answer a list of questions like one of those goofy Facebook quizzes, but then again, I probably wouldn’t bother to do that.  Here are 8 bits of Maui Stamper nonsense and trivia:

  • I make my own granola.  I eat it every morning with non-fat yogurt and fresh fruit and it is the Best Breakfast Ever, if I do say so myself.
  • My kids asked my husband to rate my “wild factor” on a scale of 1 to 10 when I was in college and he gave me an 8.
  • I’m a Weight Watchers leader, because the leader ALWAYS attends the meeting.
  • My shirts are organized by color in my closet (weird, huh?)
  • My favorite footwear is a pair of Birkenstocks – actually, quite a few pairs.
  • I have a relatively short attention span and am generally trying to do 3 things at once
  • Reading is one of the few things to which I can give my full attention – I love a good book
  • Despite the occasional split infinitive, I am particular about grammar

I know.  Who cares?  Hope this gives you a good laugh if nothing else.  Happy Tuesday!

 

 

Punchin’ up some new blossoms

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Wow – do you love the new mini?  The 2011 Occasions Mini has such cool new products – and product suites – that I’ll be inspired for weeks.  Thank goodness for the demonstrator discount 🙂

One of my first purchases was the Blossoms Petals punch.  I love flowers that stand up off the page but I confess that hand-cutting them out gets tiresome.  This punch does the work for you, and there are enough different shapes that you can create all sorts of blooms:

Blossoms Petals punch in pink

  • Thank You Kindly stamp set and Music Notes standard wheel
  • Whisper White smooth and Pirouette Pink textured card stock
  • Play Date Designer Series paper
  • Pirouette Pink, Pretty in Pink and Rich Razzleberry classic ink pads
  • Stampin’ Sponges, Brights Designer Buttons, and Hemp Twine
  • Blossoms Petals punch, Stampin’ Around Wheel Guide

I used the sponges to add some texture to the flower petals with Pirouette Pink and Pretty in Pink ink.  I’m starting to like the Hemp Twine for these buttons, too – I’ve used Linen Thread in the past, but when I ran out of thread I switched to twine.  I like the bulk in the knot, and since that button isn’t going to pass the USPS quarter-inch test I figured I might as well go for broke.  And I think I made a good call on the Wheel Guide – it’s hard to fake it when your lines of music are wavy.

These soft colors seemed to beg for a pop of color, and I started with a little Daffodil but it just wasn’t enough.  Razzleberry was the solution  – and the button and the “thanks” are the same color in person.

I’m gradually resuming my “regular” schedule.  My middle daughter is home through the end of this week and then off to spend the semester abroad in Spain, so I’m enjoying these last few days together.  It was an absolutely gorgeous beach day today and we were all lazy as can be, reading books and watching the whales.  Yesterday was the opposite – we did the Piiholo Ranch Zipline!  I’ll share photos of that soon.

Check out this mini for yourself and see if you can resist all these goodies!

Stampin Up 2011 Occasions Mini

Click here to see the 2011 Occasions Mini

 

Dreaming…

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About 6 weeks ago I was watching sports with my husband.  I don’t remember what kind of sports – the point was to sit with him 🙂  Anyway, we have this big ol’ TV that we bought when we built the house 11 years ago, and we thought we were so smart to have a cabinet made to fit.  The doors would close and no one would know there was a TV there.

Right.  I’m the only one who closes the doors, and that cabinet is for Old School TVs, not flat screen.

But I digress.  I was staring at the screen and realized that I couldn’t read whatever numbers they had up there.  I know my vision has gotten worse, but this was ridiculous.  He explained that pictures are formatted for new wide screens, and when those images are broadcast on dinosaur TVs everything gets squooshed.

You need to understand that I don’t watch much TV.  A little Food Network while I iron and I’m good.  My son watches ridiculous shows when he has time (which is seldome), and when my darling middle daughter is home from school, she and her dear friend watch those dreadful Lifetime channel movies (forgive me if I offend you).  My husband likes to watch sports to unwind, and with his schedule and the pressures he faces at work he deserves it.  I looked at those little tiny athletes running around and said “maybe it’s time to get a new TV”.  This was a huge statement, because it meant removing an entire wall of cabinetry, which sets in motion new flooring, paint…you get the picture.  We had a couple of conversations over the next couple of days and I told him to start shopping.

A day or two later he came to me with a suggestion that knocked my socks off.  He said “I’ve been thinking about those cabinets on the wall with the TV.  Wouldn’t they make good storage in your stamping room?”  Honest to goodness, that was never my intention when I suggested the new TV but WOW!  It made sense!  I’ve been using my oldest daughter’s bedroom for a stamp room.  I finally got rid of the bed about 6 months ago, and that opened up a lot of space, but I’ve been working with a tiny little desk, a 6 foot folding table, some shelves and a chest of drawers.  I’m not complaining – I know there are loads of stampers who would LOVE to have half this space – but it hasn’t exactly been custom.

Messy stamp room

Now I’m dreaming.  It’s kind of overwhelming, especially because we are in post-Christmas chaos.  There are boxes of stuff that I don’t know what to do with – you know the sort – photos and mementos from travel and retired stamps/embellishments/papers that didn’t sell.  We’re going to switch bedrooms and make the current stamp room into the guest room, so it promises to be exciting, chaotic and messy.

I am open to suggestions because I’m going to start fresh.  Anyone have fabulous storage solutions?  Things they wished they’d done?  Tales of horror and woe?  I’m all ears…

Not quite pink and red

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It feels like it’s been such a long time since I’ve had inky fingers!  I have a couple of projects on the desktop that I can’t share quite yet, but here’s a quick and easy Valentine with a different color palette:

  • Cute by the Inch and Woodgrain stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Chocolate Chip and Poppy Parade card stock
  • Baja Breeze and Poppy Parade Classic ink pads
  • Baja Breeze Seam Binding
  • Basic Rhinestone jewels and Stamp-a-ma-jig

Will you forgive me for being so fussy as to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig with Clear Mount stamps?  I am picky, picky, picky about squares being lined up.  I eyeballed the positioning twice and threw the results in the trash twice.  Other than getting my squares in a row, this is a very simple card for Valentine’s Day or just to say I love you.

There’s a Whisper White panel on the inside.  You can write on Poppy Parade with a dark pen or marker, but I like the clean look that the white panel adds.  It has absolutely nothing to do with my vision.  Really.

I got a new Point-and-Shoot camera for Christmas, but as you can see, my photos aren’t much better.  Operator error, or perhaps just Operator Learning Curve.  So much to do and just not enough time in which to get it done!!  I shall persevere, I promise – I like taking photos too much.

Perhaps I’ll practice on Captain Stupidhead.

A quick Valentines box

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This time of year it’s important for me to step back and enjoy my family and the holidays we celebrate.  I’ve been creative over the past couple of weeks, but mostly with lots of good food.  Today it was time to get my hands into some ink and rubber:

3 Red Boxes

Candy Countdown Calendar Kit, #120926 ($19.95)

These little boxes from the Holiday Mini are perfect for all sorts of goodies and treats – and they are the perfect color for Valentines Day!  Run, don’t walk, to the Online Store and get these ordered before 11:50pm Mountain time on Monday, January 3, 2011 or you will miss out!  There are 25 little boxes all ready for you to decorate, plus Real Red ribbon, 5 yards of twined rope and 25 of the cutest little wooden clothes pin you’ve ever laid eyes on.

Want to see the tops?  One is plain, but the other two are dressed up:

3 Red Box Tops

I used one of the Candy Cane Christmas panels that are included in the kit for the front of the box on the left, but it’s just as easy to cut your own cardstock and choose your own images.  What are you waiting for?